The Korea Judo Association has issued an apology regarding the disqualification of Jung Soo-jin (Yongin University) at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The association promised a thorough investigation following the athlete's allegations of misguidance from coaches and inadequate responses after the incident.
In an official statement released on October 5, the Judo Association acknowledged the seriousness of the issues raised in Jung's personal statement and recent media reports, expressing sincere apologies for causing concern among judo enthusiasts and the public.
Jung Soo-jin, representing South Korea in the women's 48kg category, was disqualified before her round of 16 match on September 30 at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya. Although she passed the official weigh-in the day before, a random weigh-in conducted that morning revealed she weighed 50.5kg, exceeding the allowed limit of 50.4kg by 100 grams, preventing her from competing.
Initially, the incident was attributed to Jung's failure to manage her weight. However, on October 4, she took to social media to reveal details of the situation, escalating the controversy.
Jung stated, "On the morning of the competition, the weigh-in lottery results were announced, and after confirming with my coach, I was told that only one male athlete from our team was selected for the weigh-in, indicating I was not a target for it." She added, "Since it was an open competition and I had not eaten since the morning, I thought quick recovery was essential for my first match, so I consumed approximately 300g of porridge, 200g of banana, and 600g of electrolyte drink while warming up."
However, Jung revealed, "I only learned 15 minutes before the weigh-in ended that I was actually a target. From that moment, I tried my best to make weight by vomiting everything I had eaten, cutting my hair, and running, but I couldn't make the weight in time, exceeding it by 100 grams."
Jung also criticized the response from her coaches after the disqualification, saying, "After this incident, my coach expressed regret but said he had nothing to say to me, only that they would take responsibility when we returned to Korea, while focusing on coaching the remaining athletes. This morning, the coach told me that it would be best to quietly end this matter as it is."
In light of the growing backlash, the Judo Association has begun to address the situation. However, as the national team is currently participating in the World Judo Championships, a full investigation will take place after the tournament concludes.
The association emphasized, "Upon the team's return, we will conduct an objective and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Jung Soo-jin and the involved coaches. Based on the findings, we will take necessary actions in accordance with relevant regulations, procedures, and principles."
Additionally, they stated, "We will use this incident as an opportunity to review the overall management of the national team and the operational systems for international competitions, particularly focusing on the verification and communication processes regarding weigh-in targets to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.